Spring suspension for vehicles.



J. J. CHARLBY & F. LAMPLOUGH. SPRING SUSPENSION Fon VBHIGLSS.

APPLICATION FILED HAR. 26, 1912.

1,046,553. Patented Dec. 10, 1912.

ring,

U` i, TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JoHN JosErH CHARLEY, or MALVERN', VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA, AND FREDERICK LAM- rLOUGH, or LONDON, ENGLAND; sAID LAMPLOUGH AssIGNoa To sAID CHARLES?.

SPRING SUSPENSION'FOR VEHICLES.

v specification of Letters Patent. Pawnee@ Dec@ 109 1912 Application led March 26, 1912. Serial No. 686,444.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that we, .JOHN JOSEPH CHARLEY and FREDERICK LAMPLOUGH, both subjects of the King of England, residing, respectively, at Malvern, in the State of Victoria, Commonwealth of Australia, temporarily of Albany Works, Willesden J unction, London, N. W., England, and Albany Works, aforesaid, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Spring Suspension for Vehicles,of which the following is a specification. This invention relates to improvements in .spring suspension for vehicles for absorblng or reducing road shocks and the like, and comprises a modified construction of the pivoted or articulated wheel carrying axle described in the s ecication of our copending application, ed herewith, which broadly comprises a supporting member in substantially fixed relatlon to the vehicle body, a wheel carrying member articulated at one end to said supporting member and means for preventing lateral play of the free end of said articulated member durin its rocking movements relatively to sai supporting member.

The primary object of the invention is to provide means whereby each wheel `may be caused to rise and fall relatively to the chassis or fixed axle in a rectilinear direction instead of in a curved path as in the construction of the prior application referred to.

The invention further comprises an arrangement of bell-cranks having one arm of each co-acting with the means for and.

assisting in the production of the aforesaid rectilinear movement of the axle while the other arms of said bell-cranks act to carry or assist in carrying the weight of the vehicle.

The movements of a wheel due to road inequalities are transmitted by one or other of said bell-cranks through shock absorbing and normalizing devices to a similar arrangement of bell-cranks and axle supporting means for another wheel of the ve icle,

such shock absorbing and normalizin devlces bemg approprlately of the kin descrlbed in the specification of prior Letters Patent No. v 1013742, granted -January 2, 1912, to J. J. Charley.

A practical embodiment of the invention Ielevation of the improved wheel supporting and shock transmitting members. Fig. 3 is an end elevation from the left of Fig. 1Ll certain parts being in section and others removed, and Fig. 4 is la detail view of parts shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Figs. 2 to 4 are drawn to a scale considerably enlarged with l reference to Fig. 1.

The invention is herein described and illustrated more partcula-rl 'with reference to thesteering wheels o an automobile Aroad vehicle, each running wheel 40 being rotatably mounted on a stub axle 41 carried by an arm 42 having integral therewith upper and lower lugs 43, 44 respectively which are connected as by keys 45 to a tubular member 46 free to partially rotate in a slide block 47 forming part of the steerin knuckle, lateral movement or distortion o these parts being prevented by a guide rod 48 mounted in the bifurcated ends 49 of a bracket 50 integral with a transverse sleeve 51 shown as carried by a laminated suspensionspring 52 attached to the vehicle fra-me. Within the sleeve 51 there is litted a shaft or axle 53 which extends to the opposite side of vehicle where it carries a similar sleeve on that side connected to a sus ension spring. To the arm 42 carrying t e stub axle 41 is connected the steering lever, rod, or equivalent 54 connected to similar means on the .opposite side of the vehicle by means of the usual connecting link or rod y (not u is an oscillatin link 54 ivoted at the ccnter of its lengt on a gu geon- 55-eXtending from said block and having lbifurcated ends in which are pivoted-levers 57 mounted on shafts 58 fulcrumed in extensions 59?*015 the yaforesaid bracket 50, the construction ,and arrangement .being such thatas the 'stub axle 41 rises or falls owing to road in- `rod 48, during which movement the oscillating link 54 and levers 57 are rocked'about (pivotal points. Movement is thus im.-

their parte to other levers 59 of which 'there may be any number according and the free ends of which are connected by springs 60 ada ted to assist in' supporting that port-ion o the vehicle adjacent the wheel in question. The said -levers 59, of'

which there are four shown in Fig. 3, are mounted on .sleeves 61 keyed to the shafts 58 on which the levers 57 are mounted so that in effect the said levers 57 and 59 form bellcranks. .V A g Mounted on the shaft 580i` one of said bell cranks and participating in the movements thereof is an arm 61 to the outer end of which is attached a pull rod 62 leading to the shock absorbing and normalizing de vices 63 above lreferred to ,which act by vmeans of another rod 64 to transmit such movements to a similar arm 61 at the other end of the vehicle. f

Fig. 4 shows in full lines the. normal posiu tions of the link54, levers `57,59 and arm' 61 and in broken lines the positions assumed by these parts on the wheel rising due toencountering an obstruction. In some cases the levers 59 with their connecting springs 60 may be dispensed with while retaining the levers 57 which co-act with the link 54 to compel rectilinear movement of the stub shaft 41 and retaining also `the arm, 61 connected to the shock absorbing and normalizing means so that the entire shock due to movements of the stub axle is dealt with by said means. v

As above stated the foregoing description relates .to the suspension of the steerinr wheels but as regards the stub shafts, be cranks, oscillating links and various con-- `nections, the lsame e ually applies to the rear or driving whee s in the case of an automobile road vehicle,in which case provision must bemade for the driving axle and brakes.

What we claim as our invention and desire to secure' by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In a vehicle suspension the combina.- tion with a supportlng member substanto` requirements ,tially fixed withl relation to the vehicle ried by said supporting member, a.l wheel carrying member mounted on said guiding member for l movement relatively to said supporting member in a rectilinear verticaldirection, bell crank levers carried by the supportingmember and rocked by the member, springs connecting saidfbell crank levers, an arm having movements corre, spondingv to thoseof the aforesaid bell crank levers 'anda 'connection from said arm to a shock absorbing andV normalizing system married by thevehicle frame.

.2., In a vehicle suspensionv 'the-combination" with a supporting member substantially fixed with relation to the vehicle frame, of a -vertical guiding member carried by said f supporting member, 'a wheel carrying member mounted on said guiding member for movement relatively to said supporting rmember in a rectilinear vertical direction, `levers mounted Ion the supporting member on opposite sides of the wheel carrying member, a link mounted to oscillate on the wheel'carrying member and connecting the free ends of said levers, an arm integral with one ofv said. levers and a connect-ion from said arm to a shockabsorbing and normalizing system carried by the vehicle frame.

3. In a vehicle suspension the combinationwith a supportingmember substantially fixed with relation to the vehicle frame, of a lvertical guiding member carried by said supporting member, a wheel carrying member mounted on said guidin member for movement -relatively to said lsu porting member' in a rectilinear vertical direction, bell crank levers mounted on the supporting carrying member, springs connecting the arms oip said levers, a link mounted to oscillate on the wheel carrying member and con necting other arms of said levers, an arm integral with one of said levers and a connection from said arm to a shock absorbing and normalizing system carried by the vehicle frame. v

I 4. In a vehicle suspension the combination of a pair of supporting members substantially {iXed with relation to the vehicle frame, a vertical guiding member carried by each4 supporting member, a wheel carrying member mounted on each guiding member for movements relatively to said supporting member in a rectilinear vertical direction, levers carried by eachsupporting member on opposite sides of the respective wheel carry member, a link mounted to oscillate on each wheel carryin member and connecting t e free ends of sai levers, arms frame, of a vertical guiding' member car vertical movement-s 4of Athe wheel carrying member on `opposite sides of the wheel.

integral with said levers, a shock absorbing and normalizing system located between the aforesaid supporting members 1ongitudi nally of the vehicle and connections from 5 said arms to said system substantially as described.

In witness whereof We have signed this specification in the presence of two wit nesses JOHN JOSEPH CHARLEY. FREDERICK LAMPLOUGH.

Witnesses:

EVANGELINE HAMPTON, EUSTACE H. BABKER. 

